Bottle-labeling machine.



H. G. MUENCH.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. APPLICATION IILED JAN.18. 1012.

1 ,O47,550, Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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H. G. MUENCH. I BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 18, 1912.'

1,047,550. Patented Dec.17,1912.

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u mlilwmmn firm, 65 251 i H. G. MUENGH.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 18. 1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

M T4501 eases;

Even tan flrnazz: Mel/ti UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEBMANN G. MUENCH, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

BOTTLE-LABELING MACHINE.

vide a bottle labeling machine, which is simple in construction and efficient in operation, com act in form and adapted to be operated at .hlgh speed.

Another object is to provide a bottle labeling machine which is so arranged that labels may be placed on the neck and body portions of a bottle simultaneously, and in which the labels will be placed on the bottle without mutilation. r

Other objects will appear in the following specification.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the bottle labeling portions of tion on the line WW of Fig. 2. Fig. t is a detail in elevation of the paste distributing roller. Fig. 5 is a detail in plan of the label feeding mechanism. Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line X-X, of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of one set of the label wipe-rs. Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation of the device for. holding the labels in position on the bottle. Fig. 9 is a detail in elevation of a portion of the label-holder for positioning the labels on the bottle.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine which may lee of any suitable construction, and 2 indicates a horizontally disposed endless belt carried on rollers 3-3 journaled on the frame A; the upper wing of the belt traversing and supported by a table topB formed on the frame A. A gear 4 attached to the roller 3 meshes with a pinion 5 on a shaft 6 which has a pinion 7 mesh: ing with a gear 8 mounted on a drive shaft 9 journaled on the lower portion of the frame Specification of Letters Patent.

same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec-' Patented Dec.17,1912.

Application filed January 18, 1912. Serial No. 671,815.

A, as shown in Fig.1. The drive shaft 9 is designed to be driven continuously from any suitable source of power through a belt pulley 10, thereby transmitting continuous rotary motion to the roller 3 through the gears' 875-4 to drive the belt 2 continuously. Formed on the belt 2 centrally thereof is a series of semicircular flanges 11, spaced any suitable distance apart which are designed to receive the lower ends of bottles C to be labeled, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

Mounted on the table top B is a pair of spaced, vertically disposed guide rods 12, one of which is positioned on each side of the co-nveyer belt 2, as shown in Fig. 6, and mounted on each of the guide rods 12 is a sleeve 13, which sleeves are designed to be reciprocated in unison with each other 'and intermittently by means of a mutilated gear 14 mounted on the drive shaft 9; the gear '14 being adapted to be'engaged with and disengaged from, a gear 15 mounted on a shaftcarrying a disk 16 on which a wrist pin 17 in engagement with a connecting rod 18 is mounted. The conneoting'rod 18 is pivoted to a cross head 19 which connects at its outer ends with pitman rods'20 leading to, and connected with, trunnions on the sleeves 13, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. Mounted on the sleeves 13 and extending inwardly therefrom and projecting over the belt 2 is a pair of superposed gates 21-21. The gates 2121 normally extend in the path of travel of the bottles C carried on the belt 2, as shown in Fig. 6, when the sleeves 13 are in their lowermost positions, and are normally retained in their innermost positions by means of springs 22. The gates 2121' constitute label carriers and are provided for the purpose of positioning pasted labels in the path of travel of the bottles C, as willpresently be described; the labels being delivered to the gates 21-'21 by means of a label feeding mechanism disposed adjacent the upper ends of the guide rods 12,

The label feeding mechanism is here shown as consisting of a horizonally reciprocable carriage 23 having a pair of superposed label-receiving chambers, on each of which a quantity of the labels to be fed to the gates 212l is disposed in a vertical position. The carriage 23 is posi'e tioned between the guide rods 12 a short springs 38 acting on the supported on the rods 12 and an upwardly projecting portion of the machine frame, indicated at D, mounted on the table top B. The carriage 23 is designed to be reciprocated intermittently 'by means'of a lever 25 which is fulcrumed at 26 on the frame D and has its lower end rojecting in the path of travel of a cam or finger 27 carried on a ear 62 loosely mounted on, and adapted to %e rotated by, a shaft 28, as later described. The shaft 28 is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame D and is continuously rotated by means of a sprocket chain 29 from the roller 3; sprockets 30-30 being provided on the shaft 28 and roller 3, as shown in Fig. 1, with which the chain 29 is engaged. Mounted on the shaft 28 in alinement with the vertical path of travel of the gates 21-21 is a pair of paste-feeding rollers 32 which extend into a paste receptacle 33 carried on the frame D. Paste-delivering rollers 34 normally contact the peripheries of the feeding rollers 32 and are mounted on bell-crank levers 35, pivoted at 36 on the frame D, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The bell-crank levers 35 are designed to be rocked by means of fingers 37 carried on the shaft 28, which fingers engage the lower arms of the bell-crank levers 35, as the shaft 28 revolves, in such manner as to rock the bell-crank levers 35 and thereby throw the rollers 34 out of contact with the rollers 33 and dispose them in the path oftravel of the outer faces of the ates 21-21; be l-erank levers 35 to restore them to their normal position when released from thefingers 37.

In the operation of the labelfeeding, pasting and delivering portions of the invention just described, the gates '21-21' are caused to move upward by the action .of the constantly rotating mutilated ear 14, which meshes with the pinion 15 w en the sleeves 13 and the gates 21-21 thereon are in the lowermost positions; the gear 15 being rotated to rotate the disk 16 one-half of a revolution during a portion of a revolution of the mutilated 1gear 14. The disk 16 in traversing one-ha f of a revolution causes the sleeves 13 and gates 21-21 to move u ward by means of the wrist pin 17 and t e connecting rods 18 and 20. As the gates 21-21 are moved upward, the paste-distributing rollers 34 are moved by the action of the fingers 37 into such position as to cause them to roll over the outer face of the ates 21 and 21, and thereby coat these aces with a suitable quantity of paste. This being done the rollers 34 are moved out of thepa'th 0 travel of the gates 21 and 21 by the s rings 38; the gates continuing their upward movement until their uppermost position is reached, whereupon they are caused to become stationary by reason of the mutilated ear 14 being disengaged from the gear 15. he moment the gates 21-21' are in their uppermost position, the carriage 23 is advanced by means of the finger 27 on the shaft 28 acting on the lever 25, to press the outermost label against the pasted faces of the gates 21-21. The end of the carriage 23 facing the gates 21-21 is open, so that practica ly the entire rear face of the label 1s exposed; spring fingers 39 engaging the upper edges of the outermost labels, as

shown in Fig. 2. The carriage 23 is then moved rearward by means of a spring 40 acting on the lever 25 to restore the carriage 23 to its normal position. The carriage 23, in movin backward,- leaves the outermost labels stic 'ng to the pasted outer faces of the gates 21-21. The gates 21- 21 carrying the labels are now caused to be restored to their lowermost son of the'mutilated gear 14 again meshing with the gear 15. The labels carried on the gates 21-21 are thus dislposed across the path of travel of the bott es C; the labels on the ates 21 bein positioned in front of the bofy portion 0% the bottles while the label on the gates 21'-is positioned in front of the neck ortion of the bottle. The gates 21-21'- with the labels thereon are held stationary in the lowermost position for a short time by reason of the mutilated gear 14 disengaging from the r 15, and during the time the gates 21-21 are intheir lowermost position, the bottle C is carried forward on the belt 2 between the gates 21-21', thereby swinging the gates on their hinges in the direction of the arrows a, in Fi .6, thus causing the labels to be removed rom the gates and adhered to the bottle; the gates bein restored to their normal position after the ottle C has by means of the springs 22, afterwhich they are again operated, as just described, to position another set of asted labels in front of the succeeding bottle on the belt 2.

Means are provided for continuously advancing the labels in the carriage 23, and this means is here shown as consisting of slidable blocks 40 mounted on the carriage 23 and caused to bear against the forward ends of the stacks of labels, by means of springs 41 which bear between the blocks 40' and collars formed on set-screws 42 mounted in a gate 43 secured to the carria e 23, as shown 1n Fig. 2. By adjusting t'e set-screws 42, tension may be maintained on position by reapassed therebetween,

the springs 41, thereb exerting continuous pressure on the slida labels are removed.

Means are provided for holding the label against the bottle, as-the latter passes between the gates 21-21, and for wiping the labels smoothly around the face of the bottle to insure their adhering thereto. The label wiping means consists of flexible wipers 44 1e blocks 40, as the position on the bottle and preventing theirshifting thereon during the smoothing action of the wipers 14 consists of a pair of vertically disposed, superposed rollers 45-45, which are so mounted as tocontact the labels on the gates 21-21 respectively and hold them against the bottle, as the latter passes between the gates 21-21. The roller 45 is journaled on aframe 46 mounted to move horizontally on a standard 47; studs 48 on the frame 46 extending through perforations in the standard 4.7 and slidable therein,

as shown in Fig. 8. Helical springs 49 wound on the studs 48 bear between the standard 47 and the frame 46 to normally retain the latter in its forwardmost position;

nuts 50 on the outer ends of the studs limiting the forward movement thereof. The roller 45 is journaled on the upper end of the standard 47, which is curved to dispose the roller 45 in vertical alinement with the roller 45.

The standard 47 is mounted on an arm 51 which extends transverse of the belt 2 and is slidably mounted on an arm 52 extending parallel with the belt 2 adjacent one edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. The'arm 52 1s of the belt 2 by means movement of the arm 52,

the arm 51 lengthwise of the arm 52, thus' mounted to swmg horizontally, being pivoted at 53, and is normally held in its innermost position parallel with the line of travel B limits the forward dueto the action of 54 also 'acts on 55 on the table top the spring 54. The spring the arm 51 to normally retain it in its inner- 52, in which posimost position onthe arm will be disposed tion the rollers 45-45 against the outer portion of the bottle C, in passing between the gates 21 bears against the label thereon and presses .it against the roller 45; the latter moving backward with the bottle on the standard 47 in opposition to'the spring 49,-

until the neck of the. bottle, which is offset from the body of the bottle, contacts the label on the gate 21' and presses it against When this occurs, the conpinching the labels between the neck and body portions of the bottle and the rollers 45-45, and securely holding them against shifting sidewise when acted on by the wipers 44. The arm 51 is carried lengthwlse of a spring 54. A pin' face of the labels on the gates 21-21, as shown in Fig. 6. The body *the belt '2 in such manner of the arm 52 until the wipers 44 leave the labels on the bottle, whereupon a wedge 56 on the arm 51 engages the pin 55 in such manner'as to rock the arm 52 a short distance. and thereby throw the rollers 45-45 to one side of the center of the bottle; whereupon the continued movement of the bottle will cause the body portion .thereof to act to foroe'the roller 45 to one side. This has the effect of rocking the arm 52'into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and allows the bottle to pass beyond the rollers 45-45', whereupon the latter are restored to their normal position by the action of the spring 54, which operates to rock the arm 52 to its normal position and move the arm 51 on the arm 52 back to its normal position,-indicated in full lines in Fig. 6, against the label previously positioned in readiness to be'wiped on the next bottle. The wipers 44 are sufiiciently separated from each other at their ends to allow the rollers 45-45' to pass therebetween on their return-to their normal.

position.

Means are provided for holding the bottle in an upright position as it passes between the gates 21-21 and the wipers 44. This means is here shown as consisting of a mechanism adapted to be engaged with the upper ends of the bottles as t ey pass between the gates 21-21, and disengaged" therefrom after the bottle has passed between the wipers 44. This mechanism consists of a rod 57 slidably mounted on a revoluble shaft 58 at right angles thereto; the shaft 58 being journaled on the frame D above the wipers 44 and the rod 57 located thereon in alinement with the path of travel of the upper ends of the bottles. The outer ends of the rod 57 project beyond opposite sides of the shaft 58 and have pockets 59 mounted thereon which are adapted to receive the upper ends of the bottles, as shown in Fig. 2. Helical springs on each side of the shaft 58 to normally retain the rod 57 in a central position under tension in both directions. The shaft 58 has a gear 61 thereon, which meshes with the gear 62 on the shaft 28. signed to be thrown in and out of operative connection with the shaft 28 by means of a clutch member 63 splinedon the shaft 28, which clutch is operated by a lever arm 64 on a vertical rockshaft 65. The shaft 65 is rocked intermittently by means of alever arm 66 thereon, the outer end ofwhich extendsin thepath of travel of the bottles on that it will be rocked a short distance by the bottle to throw the clutch member 63 on the shaft 28 into engagement with a clutch member 67 on engagement Wlth each other durinthe bottle is'passing tlie'outer endo the lever;

60 are wound on the rod 57 The gear 62 is dearm 66, so as to rotate the gear 61 and the shaft 58 one-half of a revolution, whereupon the clutch member 63 is thrown out of engagement with the clutch member 67 by means of a spring 68 actingon an arm on the rock shaft 65. The rotation of the shaft 58 is so timed that it will come to a stop when the rod 57 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, in which position the pocket 59 on one end thereof will be so disposed that the upper end of the bottle about to pass between the gates 21-21 will enter therein The shaft 58 is then rotated so that the pocket 59 will move forward with the bottle A; the rod 57 moving upward and downward as the bottle passes under the shaft 58. The shaft 58 is rotated after the pocket 59 is released from the bottle top a sufficient distance to dispose the pocket- 59 on the other end of the rod 57 in such position as to engage the top of the succeeding bottle. The bottle may be fed to, and removed from, the belt 2 in any desired manner.

It will be seen that the gear 62 will be rotated only when the lever arm 66 is actuated and, as the operation of the lever arm 66 is controlled by a bottle being carried forward on the belt 2, the rotation of the shaft 58 and the reciprocation of the label-carrying carriage 23 will take place only when a bottle is positioned on the belt 2 to actuate the lever arm 66. By this arrangement the labels will not be fed to the gates 2121 unless a bottle is delivered to the machine to receive it.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arran ement as herein described and illustrate as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made therein in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat'- ent is 1. The combination in a labeling machine, of a bottle carrier, means for operating the same, means for positioning a label in the path of travel of a bottle on said carrier, including parallel, vertically movable gates hinged to swing horizontall means for operating the gates, means or holding a label against the bot-tle, and means for wi ing the label on the bottle as the latter is advanced by the carrier.

2. In'a labeling machine, a bottle conveyer comprising an endless belt, means for rotating same, means for positioning a label in the path of travel of a bottle on said conveyer, including parallel, vertically movable gates hinged to swing horizontally, means for reciprocating the gates, means for delivering a label to said gates, means for holding the positioned label against a bottle, and means for wiping the label on'the bottle as it is advanced by said conveyer.

3. In a labeling machine, a bottle conveyer comprising an endless belt, means for rotating same, means for positioning a label in the path of travelof a bottle on said conveyer, including parallel, vertically movable gates hinged to swing horizontally, means for reciprocating the gates, means for delivering a label to said gates, controlled by the bottle to be labeled on said conveyer, means for holding a positioned label against a bottle, and means for wiping the label on the bottle as it is advanced by said conveyer.

4. In a labeling machine, an endless belt, bottle-holding means thereon, means for rotating said belt, parallel gates hinged to swing horizontally projecting toward each other over said belt, means for reciprocating said gates vertically, means for applying paste to the outer vertical faces of the gates on the upward movement thereof, and means for delivering labels to the pasted faces of the gates, comprising a horizontally reci rocable label-carrying carriage controlle by the bottle to be labeled on said belt.

5. In a labeling machine, an endless belt, bottle-holding means thereon, means for rotating said belt, parallel gates hinged to swing horizontally projecting toward each other over said belt, means for reciprocating said gates vertically, means for applying paste to the outer vertical faces of the gates on the upward movement thereof, means for delivering labels to the pasted faces of the gates, comprising a horizontally reciprocable label-carrying carriage controlled by the bottle to be labeled on said belt, means for holding the gates stationary in their lowermost position to dispose the label thereon in the path of travel of a bottle on the belt to allow the moving bottle to remove the label from the gates, and means for wiping the label on the bottle as the latter moves forward.

6. In a labeling machine, an endless belt, bottle-holding means thereon, means for rotating said belt, parallel gates hinged to swing horizontally projecting toward each other, over said belt, means for reciprocating. said gates vertically, means 1 for applying paste to the outer vertical faces of the gates on the upward movement thereof, means for delivering labels to the pasted faces of the ates, comprising a horizontally reciprocable l abel-carrying carriage controlled bythe bottle to be labeled on said belt, means for holding the gates stationary in their lowermost position to dispose the label thereon in the path of travel of a bottle on the belt to allow the moving bottle to remove the label from the gates, means for holding the label against the bottle, and means for wiping the label on the bottle as the latter moves forward.

7. In a labeling machine, an endless belt, bottle-holding means thereon, means for rotating said belt, parallel gates hinged to swing horizontally projecting toward each other over said belt, means for reciprocating said gates vertically, means for applying paste to the outer vertical faces of the gates on the v upward movement thereof, means for delivering labels to the pasted faces of the gates,

comprising a horizontally reciprocable label-carrying carriage controlled by the bottle to be labeled on said belt, means for holding the gates stationary in their lowermost position to dispose the label thereon in the label on the bottle as the latter moves for- 5 ward, and means for holding the upper end of the bottle while the label is being applied thereto. k

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 30 witnesses.

HERMANN G. MUENCH.

CL C. (3001:. 

